Cap-feeder for bottle-cappers



E. F. EDGECOMBE, In.

CAP FEEDER FOR BOTTLE CAPPEHS.

APPLICATION .FILED OCT. 20, 1920.

PatentedSept. 20, 1921.

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E. F. EDGECOMBE, 1R.

CAP FEEDER FOR BOTTLE CAPFERS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20. |920.

Patented Sept. 20, 1921.

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new and useful EDWARD l'. EDGEOOHBE, JB., OFMINDI 'rss' canoa mrc. co., or INDIANAPOLIS,

Tb au whom. a me Be it known t at GAY-FEEDER FOB BOTTLE-CAPPERS.

l Speoioa'tion o! Letters Patent.. l Applioatiorled October 20, 1920. Serial No. 418,881.

Concern.'

I, EDWARD F. Encricoman, J r., a citizen of the United States'esiding at Indianapolis, in the county of rion and State of Indiana, have' invented a Cap pers, of which cation.

The object of my `a device bymeans of tomatically delivered to cap-attaching being of such character mechanism,

-Feeder for Bottle-Capthefollowing is a speci invention is to produce which caps may be auto bottles o n their way the apparatus that considerable variation in heights of the bottles will not interfere with the proper application-ot` the caps to the. successive The accom anying invention. igure 1 section; Fig. 2 a section on 1; Fig. 3 an elevation tion, on a largerl bottles.

drawings illustrate my is a central vertical line 2-2 of Fig.

1n partial verticalJ secscale, ofthe cap delivery chute; Fig. 4 a transverse section' of a portion of the parts shown in In the drawings, 10 chute rigidl of the mac ine and through which the caps 12 ity in the usual manner.

attached to a stationary Fig. 3.

indicates a depending art having a channe 11 may pass by grav- In order to accommodate bottles'of varying heights, the chute 10 is supplemented at its lower end by a vertically movable with a capl between t by two mating U attached res ectively 10 and 13. ormin rear wall of channe 17 pivoted at 18 and normally move position shown in Fig.

At its lower end, plate 17 is provided with an extension 2O to which cned wearing plate formed into a` 21 whichmormally project into the fingers chute section 13, provided channel 14 and the possible gap ese two chute sections is bridged -section channels 15 and 16,

to the chute sections the lower end 'of the 14 is a swingingl plate to the 1 by a spring 19.

is secured a hardpair lof channel 14 at each side thereof, at its lower end, to form obstructions upon which the lowermost cap 12 will a distance below the ward wall of section rest, said fingers lying lower end of the foi'- 13 approximately half the diameter of the bottle cap.

AThe arts 13-20, inclusive,

carrie by removably attachable are preferably a carrier-25 which is conveniently to the lower end of the chute section 10, as clearly indicated byy the drawings, and pivote carrier 1s a yoke 27 to d at 26, 26, upon this the outerjend of which PATENT orrics.

ANAPOLIB, INDIAN A, ASSIGNOR TO HEIEB- INDIAN A, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

Patented sept. 2o, 1921.

lide 31 carries a curved shoe 40 which conl forms to the arc of movement of ythe bottles 41 immediately preceding their arrival at the cap-applying point, and this shoe terminates just 1n front of the lowermost ca 12 at a point somewhat above the level o the wearin plate 21, as indicated in Fig. 1.- Pivot pins 30 are projected through slots 25 in carrier 25 so that the section 13, and the arts which it carries, may be moved vertically, the slots limiting this vertical movement. 4 I

Pivoted at 42 on slide 31 is an arc-shaped shoe 43 to the outer end of which is pivoted 76 at 44 an arc-shaped extension shoe 45 which is preferably bifurcated at its outer end.' l Both the shoes 43 and 45 are formed, on their under surfaces, to slidingly engage the caps 12 after they have been applied to the bottle and as the bottle continues to move in its arc-shaped path on its way to the cap-applying mechanism, the exact path of movement of the bottles before and immediately following the application of the cap4 being iinmaterial but most conveniently accomplished by means of a rotary driving wheel 46 of the usual construction and o eration.

The operation is as fo lows: Bottles arrive successively and contact shoe 40. If the bottles are of standard minimum height, they fwill barely touch,or just escape, the lowest and most advanced point of shoe 40 and will come into engagement with the lowermost cap 12 without materially raising the arm 29 and parts attached thereto. As the bottle contacts the lowermost cap 12, it will swing' said cap upon the edge of plate 21 as a vful- .crum, sothat the cap will be delivered upon` the bottle, the plate 17 yielding rearwardly, as indicated in Fig. 4 under the action of the tilting cap, and a bottle with the ap lied cap will then pass on with the cap he d in place upon the bottle by the shoes 43`and 45. If a bottle of more than minimum height arrives, it will contact shoe 40 at an earlier point-an will thus raise arm 29 together with itsiattached parts, so that the lowermost cap 12 will be. automatically raised so as to be presented tothe oncoming bottle in ex- 110 plunger may engageit. As the tall 2. apvertical y l section 13, and the column of caps upwardly,

the toe 13 engages the slide 31. and causes it to move upwardly, thus carrying the shoe sections 43 and 45 upwardly, but owin to the pivotal connections 42 and 44, it wil be apparent that the forward portions of the shoes 43 and 45 will remain successively iny contact with the cap which immediately preceding has been applied to a bottle, so as to hold this cap against accidental displacement as it proceeds to position where the capping ottle engages its cap and proceeds forwardly under plate 21, it will engage the shoes 43 and 45 successively and those shoes will swing upwardly to accommodate the excessive height,- but as soon as the tall bottle passes from beneath plate 21, slide 15 and shoe 40 move downwardly to normal position so that if the next oncoming bottle is of minimum height, the arts wil be in proper position for most e cient operation. I claim as my invention: 1. Cap-applying kmechanism comprising a vertically ieldable support for a cap comprising'a ulcrum and means for sup orting the cap with a portion extending be ow the fulcrum, means for driving packages successively beneath the cap fulcrum and. into engagement with the supported cap, a shoe arranged in the path of travelof the package preceding the cap for controlling the vertical position of the cap by the height of the capreceiving portion of the package, a flexible' shoe arranged to engage the applied'caps, and one-way interengaging members carried by the cap support and the shoe support.

yieldable support for a cap comprising a fulcum and means for supporting the cap with a portion extending below the fulcrum, means for driving packages successively beneath the cap fulcrum and \into engagement with the supported cap, -a shoe arranged in the path of travel of the package preceding the ca for controllingthe vertical position of t e cap by the height of the cap-receiving portion of the package,

and a flexible shoe arranged toengage the applied caps.

3. Cap-applying mechanismy comprising a vertically fyieldable support for a cap comprising a ulcrum and means for supporting the cap with a portion extending below the fulcrum, means -for driving packages successively beneath the cap fulcrum and into engagement with the supported'cap, and a shoe arranged in the'path of travel of the package preceding the cap for controlling applying mechanism comprising a the vertical position of the cap by the height of the cap-receiving portion of the package.

4. Cap-ap lying means comprising a verjected partially below said fulcrum, kmeans for propelling packages successively into engagement with a supported cap and beneath the fulcrum', a vertically movable shoe ar.- ranged above the lpath of travel of the packages preceding t e cap chute, connections between said shoe and the vertically-movable cap chute section, a flexible shoe arran ed i above the path of travel of the packages e` lyond the cap chute, the initial end of said flexible shoe haviiig 'a flexible connection with the first-mentioned shoe, and one-way interengaging members carried by the vertically-movable chute section and the support for .the flexible shoe.

5. Cap-applying means comprising a vertical cap chute, a vertically movable capchute section arranged at the lower end of said cap chute and rovided with a cap lilcrum and supports partially below said fulcrum, means for proor retaining the cap projectedv pelling packages successively into enga ement with a supported cap and beneath t e fulcrum, a vertically-movable shoe arranged above the path of travel of the packages preceding the cap chute, connections between said. shoe and the vertically movable cap chute section, va flexible cap engaging shoe arranged beyond the cap chute, andv one-way interengaging members carried by the vertically-movable chute section and the support for the flexible shoe.

6. Cap-applying' means comprising a vertical cap chute, a vertically-movable cap chute section arranged at the lower end, of said cap chute and provided with a cap fulcrum and supports for retaining a cap projected partially below said fulcrum, means for propelling packages successively into en-" gagement with a supported cap and beneath the fulcrum, a vertically movable shoe arranged above the path of travel of the packages preceding the cap chute, connections between said shoe and the' vertically movable cap chute section, and a flexibleshoe arranged above the path of travel of the package beyond the cap chute, the initial end of said flexible shoe having a flexible connection ist above the path of travel of the packages preceding the cap chute, connections between said shoe and the vertically movable cap chute section, a flexible shoe arranged above the path of travel of the package beyond the cap chute, and one-way interengaging members carried by the vertically movable chute section and the support for the flexible shoe.

8. Cap-applying means comprising a vertical cap chute, a vertically-movable cap chute section arranged at the lower end of said cap chute and provided with a cap ulcrum y and supports for retaining a cap projected partially below said fulcrum,

means for propelling packagesV successively into engagement with a supported cap and beneath the ulcrum, a vertlcally movable shoe arranged abovethe path of travel of the packages preceding the can chute, connections between said shoe and the vertically movable cap chute section, and a flexible shoe arranged above the path of travel of the packages beyond the cap chute.

n witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 12th day of October, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty.

EDWARD EDGECOMBE, JR. 

